Opposition Leader Questions Water Shortages Across Leros

Michalis Kolias, leader of the municipal group Leros with Vision and a Plan for All, issued a press release saying half of Leros had remained without water for two weeks.

He said the disruption had occurred during a summer in which the island was not full of visitors.

After millions of euros had been spent on desalination, together with substantial operating and maintenance costs, residents were entitled to clear answers, he argued.

Mr Kolias asked where the money had gone, why Leros continued to experience serious water supply problems and who was responsible.

He also said the shortage and what he described as mistakes by the municipal authority should not be blamed on the electricity distribution operator.

Power supply problems were one issue, he said. The adequacy of water supplies, operation of desalination plants and overall water planning were another.

If half of Leros was without water when visitor numbers were below expectations, he asked, what would happen when the island was truly full.

Mr Kolias said Leros was moving backwards in several areas rather than progressing, and that this could not be accepted as normal.

Water was not a luxury but a basic need, he said, and the municipal authority had an obvious duty to provide residents and visitors with an uninterrupted supply.

The statement was accompanied by a related video and invited the people of Leros to draw their own conclusions.

Residents required transparency, accountability and solutions, Mr Kolias concluded, not further excuses or attempts to shift responsibility.

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